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Post by csnewton2701 on Feb 2, 2018 9:16:25 GMT 1
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Post by acklington on Feb 2, 2018 11:07:07 GMT 1
Got that photo already, thanks Chris. It shows a circa 1950 silver/yellow T bands scheme. The aircraft RP413 has the Hercules XI engines with Rotol electric props and no spinners. The rudder has the later shape with angled horn balance. A very attractive option for anyone looking to do a T.18 version, but it would be even nicer if there was a photo with code letters applied, they must have been common at the time!
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Post by acklington on Feb 2, 2018 19:22:08 GMT 1
It's finished! But now waiting some decent weather for outdoor photos. Today's work has been to add all the fiddly bits; Wellington T.18, Matchbox kit (39) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr This photo includes rudder mass balances; rudder trim tab actuator; two whip aerials; one dipole aerial; and the trailing aerial outlet. Wellington T.18, Matchbox kit (40) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, Matchbox kit (41) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr The two Rebecca aerials on the nose came courtesy of my friend Ivor and are from the Italeri DC-3 kit. There is also a single aerial under the nose. Note also that the starboard exhaust pipe has ended up mis-aligned, and this is because the engines were assembled as complete units before being attached to the model. Next time it would be done differently! Wellington T.18, Matchbox kit (42) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Under the back end two elevator trim tab actuators have been added, plus two under-fuselage aerials. The T.18 did not have the more common 'towel rail' aerial in this position. Wellington T.18, Matchbox kit (43) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Finally, after much agonising an offset HF long aerial has been strung from top of fin to a point roughly where the radio operator sits (if the T.18 had a radio operator? The T.18 was designed for four Mosquito radar operator trainees, plus an Instructor). The reason for this offset choice is that some 'normal' Wellington photos show two HF aerial wires coming from the top of the fin - one goes to the mast behind the cockpit, and the other to the point that I have chosen. My logic being that if the mast wire was dispensed with on the T.18, then the offset wire might still remain in its original position. So my overall verdict on this world first attempt to produce a Wellington T.XVIII. Some pleasure in resurrecting a 3-D shape that has not been seen for some 65 years. It must have been a common sight in some areas in the immediate post-war years. I was too hasty in opting for the later rudder with angled horn balance, as the few available photos seem to show that it may have been a post-war modification. The engine/propellor combination could be wrong for my chosen machine, and it would be really helpful if it was possible to do some research into which individual Wellingtons had Hercules XI engines and electric props, and which ones had Hercules 16 engines, wide blade props and spinners. The lack of information on paint schemes and markings is very frustrating, and the T.18s must have gone through the full gamut of wartime camo; added yellow patches; added yellow T bands; overall silver/yellow T bands; and at least one is known to have been painted in the post-war bomber scheme of glossy black with medium sea grey on top and D-type roundels. So that's it, some decent photos of the model will follow in a couple of days, and thanks for following this lengthy thread.
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Post by csnewton2701 on Feb 2, 2018 20:01:20 GMT 1
Definitely looks the part. You have done a cracking job there.
Chris
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Post by jetdragon on Feb 2, 2018 21:36:25 GMT 1
Brilliant job - I wish I had that amount of ability & patience - well done
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2018 21:43:46 GMT 1
A real labour of love there. Fantastic job and level of detail. Would it be possible for you to provide links to the photos that you have already found so we will know if we come across a new one.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2018 22:29:25 GMT 1
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Post by acklington on Feb 3, 2018 11:53:21 GMT 1
Many thanks for the comments, and last night I did find some answers in the Putman book about Vickers.
All 80 Wellington T.XVIII were ordered with Hercules XVI engines, so presumably produced as such. The one photo (RP573?) that shows a T.XVIII with spinners and broad blade props is clearly a 'factory photo' because there is a bloke stood at the front to give scale to the photo.
So I'm starting to think that if all 80 had Hercules 16 engines, then the T.18 photos that show no spinners and Rotol narrow blade props must show that the props could be changed without changing the engines. But why was this done on the T.18, but not on the more common T.10, of which there are plenty of post-war photos showing spinners and broad blade props. HOWEVER, to confuse the issue further, there is a crash report into the loss of T.18 RP414 from Leeming on 26th February 1951. It says that a spinner came adrift in flight, injuring the pilot and causing the aircraft to crash. Spinners go with broad blade props.
Regarding the 'radio operator', the Vickers book states that the T.18 crew complement was 7. The aircraft was designed for 4 radar trainees plus an Instructor, which makes five. That only leaves 2 other crew to fly the plane, so take your pick from Pilot, flight engineer, navigator, or radio operator!
I'm sorry not to have shown the photos referred to, but I've been worried by copyright issues, and I just copied and saved them onto my hard drive so that I could study them. I'll try and find the original links and list them.
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Post by woody66 on Feb 3, 2018 13:10:45 GMT 1
Excellent thread. I have really enjoyed watching it all come together.
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Post by acklington on Feb 3, 2018 22:02:07 GMT 1
Final post, with some decent photos taken today; Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 (13) bw by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 (7) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 (15) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 (17) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 (21) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 (30) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 (33) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr Once again, many thanks for looking, and I'll now let Chris get a word in edgeways.
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Post by csnewton2701 on Feb 4, 2018 12:35:04 GMT 1
It is a beauty of a model. I have thoroughly enjoyed following your progress, it has definitely been informative. Puts mine to shame.
Chris
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Post by acklington on Dec 19, 2018 11:06:36 GMT 1
I'm resurrecting this thread, because quite by chance I have just come across three photos of a Wellington T.XVII (T.17). As far as I am aware these are the first photos of this version to surface, and they have appeared on https://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.c ... borne.html although there is no explanation as to their origin. wellingtonTMKXVII by Philip Pain, on Flickr WellingtonMKXVII by Philip Pain, on Flickr It is indeed a T. XVII (T.17), as shown by the side window arrangement of the GR.11 from which it was converted. Of interest also it has retained the standard GR.11 'Coastal Command' colour scheme. Perhaps it was the first conversion, or did all eleven T.17s retain a coastal command colour scheme? Apart from the side windows it is in other respects very similar to the T. XVIII (T.18), and appears to also have the faired-over tail gun position.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2018 14:09:30 GMT 1
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Post by acklington on Dec 22, 2018 17:13:46 GMT 1
I'm modifying my finished model to show what seems to be the correct configuration, with the centre panel on the bomb aimer's position faired over; Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 by Philip Pain, on Flickr Wellington T.18, ND113, 62 OTU, Ouston, April 1945 by Philip Pain, on Flickr Actually that's a bit of a lie, I've just 'photoshopped' my original photos. The model will be done after Christmas, when I get my modelling room back!
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